© 2010 Rapid TV News
Rose Major ©RapidTVNews | 25-03-2010
Telekom Malaysia (TM) has launched its next-generation high-speed broadband service, which has been partly government-financed through a Public-Private-Partnership. The new network includes a relaunch of TM’s IPTV offering, HyppTV.
TM’s new UniFi offering comprises triple-play services of high speed internet, IPTV and phone, with speeds of 5Mbps, 10Mbps and 20Mbps on offer. The IPTV service which makes up part of the bundled service will be delivered via an 8Mbps connection exclusively and in addition to the broadband data speeds. With IPTV, customers can enjoy 22 linear channels, Video-On-Demand and interactive services such as games and tourism information.
Four exchange areas are covered initially, with expansion to another 22 by June and a further 22 by December to pass 750,000 premises by the end of the year. TM has completed 311,000 premises passed.
Dato’ Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM, said: “Our efforts in putting in place a high speed broadband fibre-optic infrastructure is the first of its kind in the world with regards to its scope and time-to-build. Some 4,000 of our staff are involved in the project and have been working relentlessly since 18 months ago after we signed the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with the Government.”
The CEO added: “TM expects customers’ registrations and installations to begin at a more measured pace for the first three months to ensure installation quality and fine tune the network in the initial four areas before gradually picking up steam as the installation teams gather more experience.”
Signed in September 2008, the RM11.3 billion national high-speed broadband project is a Public-Private-Partnership agreement between TM and the Government of Malaysia to develop next generation high speed broadband infrastructure and services for the nation. TM is putting up RM8.9 billion while the Government is co-investing RM2.4 billion on an incurred claims basis based on project milestones reached by TM.
By the end of 2012 - in accordance with the completion of the first phase of the national HSBB project roll-out as agreed with the Government -- approximately 1.3 million premises will be passed nationwide, giving them access to TM UniFi services. These nationwide areas -- identified as Zone 1 -- include the Inner Klang Valley, Iskandar Malaysia, and key industrial sites around the nation.
© Rapid TV News 2010
